Fruit bouquets make the perfect healthy snack in addition to being eye-catching centerpieces for parties, BBQ’s and picnics. They can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like. You {and your kids!} can make a detailed plan, brainstorming how to make different fruits look like specific flowers or you can simply jump into an making an arrangement using an assortment of fruits, cookie cutters and skewers.
Rainbow cakes are everywhere these days. I made one last summer and my family and guests loved the bright, vibrant colors. But in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think of the negative discussion and controversy surrounding chemical food coloring. My husband was actually the one to challenge me to make a rainbow cake with natural food dyes.
Given my son’s ongoing interest in all the colors of the rainbow, I decided to incorporate the rainbow into our dessert. A thin, chewy sugar cookie topped with refreshing lemon curd makes the sun and an array of summer’s fruits makes the rainbow.
Parfait, French for “perfect,” is traditionally a French dessert. In the United States it has transitioned into a healthy and filling breakfast or snack, typically made with yogurt, granola and berries. In the spirit of the 4th of July I layered strawberry, vanilla and blueberry yogurts with homemade granola to create a festive red, white and blue breakfast.
Limpa bread is a traditional Swedish rye bread that is flavored with anise seed, molasses and sometimes orange. When I was little, my family was lucky enough to have a friend who would bake us this bread on occasion, introducing me to its rich, intoxicating flavor.
I love the coconut macaroon tart shells so much that I decided to fill them with a simple combo of sliced strawberries and homemade whipped cream. They are light, refreshing, and offer an alternative to strawberry shortcake when strawberries are in season.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
4 Comments